Niels Henrik Abel
Niels Henrik Abel
Born	August 5, 1802(1802-08-05) Nedstrand, Norway
Died	April 6, 1829 (aged 26) Froland, Norway
Residence	Norway
Nationality	Norwegian
Fields	Mathematician
Institutions	Royal Frederick University
Alma mater	Royal Frederick University
Known for	Abelian function Abelian group Abel's theorem
Religious stance	Lutheran

Niels Henrik Abel (August 5, 1802 – April 6, 1829) was a noted Norwegian mathematician who proved the impossibility of solving the quintic equation in radicals. Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. Year 1802 ( MDCCCII) was a Common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Nedstrand is a village and a former municipality in Rogaland county Norway. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus For the game see 1829 (board game. Year 1829 ( MDCCCXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display Froland is a municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study and research is the field of Mathematics. The University of Oslo (Universitetet i Oslo Universitas Osloensis is the oldest and largest University in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital Alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother" It was used in Ancient Rome as a title for the mother Goddess, and in Medieval In Mathematics, particularly in Algebraic geometry, Complex analysis and Number theory, an Abelian variety is a projective algebraic variety An abelian group, also called a commutative group, is a group satisfying the additional requirement that the product of elements does not depend on their order (the In Mathematics, Abel's theorem for Power series relates a limit of a power series to the sum of its Coefficients It is named after Norwegian Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. Year 1802 ( MDCCCII) was a Common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus For the game see 1829 (board game. Year 1829 ( MDCCCXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study and research is the field of Mathematics. In Mathematics, a quintic equation is a Polynomial Equation of degree five

Early life

Abel's life started in poverty and ended in poverty. Abel was born in Nedstrand, near Finnøy. Nedstrand is a village and a former municipality in Rogaland county Norway. Finnøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is an island community located in Boknafjorden, 13 Nautical miles Abel was strikingly handsome. His father, Søren Georg Abel, had a degree in theology and philosophy and his grandfather was an active Protestant minister at Gjerstad near Risør. Gjerstad is a municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. is a city and municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. After Abel's grandfather's death, his father was appointed as minister at Gjerstad. When Abel was 13 years old, the long economic crisis in Norway affected Abel's family. In 1815 he entered the Cathedral School in Christiania. Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Schola Osloensis, known in Norwegian as Oslo katedralskole ( Oslo Cathedral School) and more commonly as "Katta" is a High school located (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. At first, he was uninspired because the school disappointed Abel, but everything changed when a new mathematics teacher, Bernt Michael Holmboe, was appointed in 1817. Holmboe saw Abel's talent in mathematics and encouraged him to learn university level mathematics. When his father died in 1820, the family was left in strained circumstances. Year 1820 ( MDCCCXX) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Holmboe supported Abel with a scholarship to remain at school and raised money from his friends to enable Abel to study at the Royal Frederick University. The University of Oslo (Universitetet i Oslo Universitas Osloensis is the oldest and largest University in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital Abel entered the university in 1821 and graduated in 1822. Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Year 1822 (MDCCCXXII was a Common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Sunday of the

Career

After returning from a visit to Degen and other mathematicians in Copenhagen, Abel applied for economic support in order to visit top mathematicians in Germany and France. Copenhagen (ˌkəʊpənˈheɪgən ˌkəʊpənˈhɑːgən ˈkəʊpənˌheɪgən ˈkəʊpənˌhɑːgən kʰøb̥ənˈhɑʊ̯ˀn kʰøb̥m̩ˈhɑʊ̯ˀn is the capital and largest city Instead, he was given funds to stay in Cristiania for two years, and he learned German and French in those years. While learning languages, Abel published his first notable work in 1824, Mémoire sur les équations algébriques ou on démontre l'impossibilité de la résolution de l'équation générale du cinquième degré (Memoir on algebraic equations, in which the impossibility of solving the general equation of the fifth degree is proven). Year 1824 ( MDCCCXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year While others were attempting to find a solution, Abel asked "is there a solution?", and he proved the impossibility of solving the quintic equation in radicals in 1823 (now referred to as the Abel–Ruffini theorem). In Mathematics, a quintic equation is a Polynomial Equation of degree five The Abel–Ruffini theorem (also known as Abel's impossibility theorem) states that there is no general solution in radicals to Polynomial equations of This work was in abstruse and difficult form, in part because the page count was severely restricted in order to save money on printing. A more detailed proof was published in 1826 in the first volume of Crelle's Journal. For the game see 1826 (board game. Year 1826 ( MDCCCXXVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display Crelle's Journal, or just Crelle, is the common name for a leading German -language Mathematical journal, the Journal für In 1825, he was given a government scholarship that enabled him to travel abroad. During the travel, Abel visited the astronomer Heinrich Christian Schumacher in Altona, now a district of Hamburg. Heinrich Christian Schumacher ( September 3, 1780 &ndash December 28, 1850) was a German Astronomer. Altona (ˈaltona is the westernmost urban borough ( Bezirk) of the German city state of Hamburg, on the right bank of the Elbe He spent six months in Berlin, where he became well acquainted with August Leopold Crelle, who was then about to publish his mathematical journal. August Leopold Crelle ( March 11, 1780 &ndash October 6, 1855) was a German Mathematician. This project was warmly encouraged by Abel, who contributed much to the success of the venture. From Berlin he passed to Freiburg, and here he made his brilliant researches in the theory of functions: elliptic, hyperelliptic, and a new class now known as abelian functions being particularly intensely studied. In Complex analysis, an elliptic function is a function defined on the Complex plane which is periodic in two directions (a Doubly-periodic In Algebraic geometry, a hyperelliptic curve (over the Complex numbers) is an Algebraic curve given by an equation of the form y^2 = f(x In Mathematics, particularly in Algebraic geometry, Complex analysis and Number theory, an Abelian variety is a projective algebraic variety

Niels Henrik Abel with signature.

In 1826 Abel moved to Paris, and during a ten-month stay he met the leading mathematicians of France; but he was poorly appreciated, as his work was scarcely known, and his modesty restrained him from proclaiming his research. For the game see 1826 (board game. Year 1826 ( MDCCCXXVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Pecuniary embarrassments, from which he had never been free, finally compelled him to abandon his tour, and on his return to Norway he taught for some time at Christiania.

Death

While in Paris Abel had contracted tuberculosis. For Christmas 1828, Abel travelled by sled to visit his fiancée again in Froland. Froland is a municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. He became seriously ill on the journey and despite an improvement which allowed them to enjoy Christmas, he soon became very seriously ill again. Crelle, at the same time, was searching for new job for Abel in Berlin. He successfully managed to appoint Abel as professor of a university and wrote to Abel on the 8 April 1829 to tell him the good news; however, it was too late, as Abel had died two days before.

Legacy

The early death of this talented mathematician, of whom Adrien-Marie Legendre said "quelle tête celle du jeune Norvégien!" ("what a head the young Norwegian has!"), cut short a career of extraordinary brilliance and promise. Adrien-Marie Legendre ( September 18 1752 – January 10 1833) was a French Mathematician. Under Abel's guidance, the prevailing obscurities of analysis began to be cleared, new fields were entered upon and the study of functions so advanced as to provide mathematicians with numerous ramifications along which progress could be made. His works, the greater part of which originally appeared in Crelle's Journal, were edited by Holmboe and published in 1839 by the Norwegian government, and a more complete edition by Ludwig Sylow and Sophus Lie was published in 1881. Crelle's Journal, or just Crelle, is the common name for a leading German -language Mathematical journal, the Journal für Year 1839 ( MDCCCXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Peter Ludwig Mejdell Sylow ( 12 December 1832 &ndash 7 September 1918) was a Norwegian Mathematician, who proved foundational Marius Sophus Lie (liː as "Lee" ( 17 December 1842 - 18 February 1899) was a Norwegian -born Mathematician. Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The adjective "abelian", derived from his name, has become so commonplace in mathematical writing that it is conventionally spelled with a lower-case initial "a" (see abelian group and abelian category; also abelian variety and Abel transform). An abelian group, also called a commutative group, is a group satisfying the additional requirement that the product of elements does not depend on their order (the In Mathematics, an abelian category is a category in which Morphisms and objects can be added and in which kernels and Cokernels exist In Mathematics, particularly in Algebraic geometry, Complex analysis and Number theory, an Abelian variety is a projective algebraic variety In Mathematics, the Abel transform, named for Niels Henrik Abel, is an Integral transform often used in the analysis of spherically symmetric or axially

Niels Henrik Abel on a Norwegian stamp, 2002

Niels Henrik Abel on a Norwegian 500 kroner banknote, 1978

Statue of Niels Henrik Abel in Oslo

On April 6, 1929, four Norwegian stamps were issued for the centenary of his death. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. His portrait appears on the 500 kroner banknote (version V) issued during the years 1978–1985. The krone ( sign: kr; code: NOK) is the Currency of Norway. The plural form is kroner. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) On June 5, 2002, four Norwegian stamps were issued in honour of Abel two months before the bicentenary of his birth. Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. There is a statue of Abel in Oslo. The Abel crater on the Moon was also named in his honour. Abel is an ancient lunar crater that lies near the southeast limb of the Moon 's near side In 2002, the Abel Prize was established in his honour. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Abel Prize is an international prize presented annually by the King of Norway to one or more outstanding Mathematicians The prize is named after Norwegian

See also

• abelian group
• abelian category
• abelian variety
• Abel transform
• Abel transformation
• Abel's theorem
• abelian function
• Abel's identity
• Abel's inequality
• Abel equation

External links

• From the Abel Prize website:
  • Biography by Arild Stubhaug
  • Scientific biography by Christian Houzel
  • Collected works
  • Handwritten manuscripts
  • Memorabilia
• O'Connor, John J. An abelian group, also called a commutative group, is a group satisfying the additional requirement that the product of elements does not depend on their order (the In Mathematics, an abelian category is a category in which Morphisms and objects can be added and in which kernels and Cokernels exist In Mathematics, particularly in Algebraic geometry, Complex analysis and Number theory, an Abelian variety is a projective algebraic variety In Mathematics, the Abel transform, named for Niels Henrik Abel, is an Integral transform often used in the analysis of spherically symmetric or axially In Mathematics, summation by parts transforms the Summation of products of sequences into other summations often simplifying the computation or (especially estimation In Mathematics, Abel's theorem for Power series relates a limit of a power series to the sum of its Coefficients It is named after Norwegian In Mathematics, particularly in Algebraic geometry, Complex analysis and Number theory, an Abelian variety is a projective algebraic variety "Abel's formula" redirects here For the formula on difference operators see Summation by parts. In Mathematics, Abel's inequality, named after Niels Henrik Abel, supplies a simple bound on the absolute value of the Inner product of two vectors in an Functional equation !-->The Abel equation, named after Niels Henrik Abel, is special case of Functional equations which can be & Robertson, Edmund F. , “Niels Henrik Abel”, MacTutor History of Mathematics archive 
• Biography of Niels Henrik Abel
• Weisstein, Eric W. The MacTutor History of Mathematics archive is an award-winning website maintained by John J , Abel, Niels Henrik (1802-1829) at ScienceWorld. ScienceWorld, also known as Eric Weisstein's World of Science, is a Web site that opened to the general public in January 2002.
• Niels Henrik Abel at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
• Translation of Niels Henrik Abel's Research on Elliptic Functions at Convergence
• Famous Quotes by Niels Henrik Abel at Convergence
• The Niels Henrik Abel mathematical contest, The Norwegian Mathematical Olympiad